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Today I had my follow up appointment with my doctor to see all my lab results, but my genotype testing results hadn't come in yet. They should come in sometime this week. My doctor wrote me a prescription for Atripla but told me not to fill it before the genotype test comes back. Thing is, I'm really eager to start treatment. The way I see it is that every moment I go untreated, my body gets a little more damaged by the virus.

Other than lost money, what's the worst case scenario if I do start taking Atripla for a few days and find out I'm resistant to it?

I was in a similar situation to you about a year ago. I REALLY wanted to just get going on the medication, but was told to wait until I got the results back. Now, after a year, it really wasn't a big deal to wait a few days. Particularly as the results of the genotype test will give further verification that Atripla has a decent chance of working, I'd recommend just waiting the extra few days for the results to come in.

I was in a similar situation to you about a year ago. I REALLY wanted to just get going on the medication, but was told to wait until I got the results back. Now, after a year, it really wasn't a big deal to wait a few days. Particularly as the results of the genotype test will give further verification that Atripla has a decent chance of working, I'd recommend just waiting the extra few days for the results to come in.

Good luck as you start on the mediation!

Yeah rationally a couple days wont make much of a difference. I'll follow doctor's orders for now, the pharmacy's closed anyways. Gah I hate all this waiting, week here week there.

Yeah rationally a couple days wont make much of a difference. I'll follow doctor's orders for now, the pharmacy's closed anyways. Gah I hate all this waiting, week here week there.

And thank you!

I totally understand the frustration. Like some esteemed people around here are fond of saying, HIV is a lifelong journey (at least until the cure, or vaccine, or whatnot) and a week here and there is nowhere near as important as setting yourself up for a relatively painless long haul.

Logged

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

This sucks. Another f*&king setback in a month full of them (got hiv, got committed, had to withdraw from school, got fired). I started my meds ahead of time because I am impulsive and have no patience which is how I got HIV in the first place. My doc just called and told me the lab said my vl wasn't high enough to test (LIE, it was >2500). Why did they have to wait until now to tell him/me, and not when I had my appointment which is when they were supposed to have the results? So my doc said to come back in 2 months and if the meds aren't working then we'll know that way. I'm flipping out. I can't wait that long. Do I have to wait that long? I mean, if the drugs don't work can't I just come in ASAP? I can't call the doc either cos they just closed and wont open til Monday. Worst case scenario I'm resistant to one component of the atripla and the virus is able to grow resistant to the other one, limiting my options. I should have just waited 2 more days... just like how I should have used a condom. FUCK. I thought I was in the clear. This was supposed to be my last "scary" test. Thank god the world's ending in December.